


I Have My Role To Play

by AllTheLokisWelcome7



Category: Ikenfell (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Cheek Kisses, Duty, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fate, Intimacy, Late Game, M/M, physical affection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:34:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27907540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllTheLokisWelcome7/pseuds/AllTheLokisWelcome7
Summary: Ibn called out for him, his name fainter with every breath, but Bax did not look back.When the world you've built together is ripped apart by happenstance, what are you to do but fight for it?
Relationships: Ibn Oxley/Bax Twiford
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	I Have My Role To Play

**Author's Note:**

> Written before I saw the ending because the opening line sunk its claws into my muse and wouldn't let go.

“I won't let you face this alone!”

“Ibn.” The quiet name cut him off, the impatient silence just as fierce. Bax breathed slowly, trembling fists outstretched, and swallowed the last of his patience. “Please leave. _Now._ ”

An all too familiar sniffle filled the world behind him. “B-but...”

“I... I can't.” A maelstrom of emotions ignited his heart as the buried tension snapped. Only his pride had kept it hidden from his friend, but just like all around them, today was the day secrets must come to light. “I can't stop the Dark Fold _and_ protect you at the same time.”

Ibn's pensive air was reassuring, even as he began to lose himself to the elusive sense of freedom.

“And if... if something happened to _you_...”

_I would be lost forever._

Without a word, Bax bit his tongue, the courtyard a pale memory in his wake. He could no more voice the thought than scold Ibn harshly.

Purposeful steps carried him away to the flutter of his cloak. Ibn called out for him, his name fainter with every breath, but Bax did not look back.

It was his destiny to be alone. He had been born into the darkness, ever-present and screeching at the back of people's minds, and he emerged from it to silence. He had been a fool to think that what he shared with Ibn could last. From the beginning, he had told himself to keep his distance, to watch his charge and not interfere, but the man had charmed his way into his heart regardless. With every mishap, his fondness only grew.

The farce of Ibn Oxley may have fooled the rest of the world, but what drew Bax to him was his kindness when everyone else turned their nose. When they were hidden from prying eyes, Ibn was as tender as could be.

* * *

Sweat dripped from his temples, irksome along the shell of his ear. Slow pants mingled with the wind whipping at his boots. A wall of thorns barred the way forward, thicker than even the stonework before him. Discomfort reared its head when he swallowed, took a step back to prepare himself, when a flash of green crunched into him. Tense arms surrounded the figure, until a nostalgic scent wove through his guarded haze.

Ibn's forehead a firm weight against his shoulder, fingers curled gently at his waist, brought with it a familiar calm. His hands lingered as he pulled away, worry cemented by his wobbly smile when he met his eye. A moment later, warm lips seared his cheek, silent pleas screamed between breaths.

A whispered _“Be careful”_ rushed hot against his skin, a biting cold left in its wake. Bax grasped the hand about to leave, his private smile enough to quell Ibn's fears as he gazed into his face. Despite his usual caution, he could understand Ibn's concern, with the way the world's errant magic crackled against theirs.

“I always am.” Soft knuckles lay pleasantly against his lips. Fingers relaxed atop his own. Ibn's cologne brought warmth and strength, cultivated over years of glorious memories.

Although he had wanted him to stay behind, where he had the best chance of survival, perhaps the Great Raven had foreseen this reunion. Gaining the chance to say goodbye on better terms swaddled him with another layer of vigour.

With an amused huff, Bax slowly shook his head, hair scraping over his cloak. “I should've known you wouldn't stay put.”

Ibn flashed him his winning smile, smoothed a temperate thumb along the blade of his hand. “A little birdie told me you needed me. But you're ready now.” That loving palm dragged along his forearm, his sleeve askew in its wake. His free hand mirrored the first until both alighted on his shoulders, grounding and desperate all at once. The edge of his lips crinkled like his eyes as he studied him with all the bittersweet pride he could muster. “I know you'll succeed – you're the only one who can.”

To his surprise, Ibn stepped back first. He truly had come a long way from the nervous fop he had met in his youth. With a last nod to his beloved, Bax drew a steadying breath. Darkness enveloped him as his eyelids fell closed, magic crawling beneath his skin like whispers of the night, until it shielded him with an all-consuming hum. Space floated about his nerves, and then he was free.

A wave greeted him between crimson vines when he looked back, his cracked smile painful on his lips, before he turned back to the ominous door. Fate had finally come to claim him, his sands of time surely running low, but thanks to Ibn, he was ready to meet it. No matter what happened to him now, Ibn was safe. In the end, that's all he had ever wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> Their dynamic was always a fun thing to encounter, and from their first interaction, you could tell that they cared deeply about one another. But it wasn't until I reached this part that the creative dam broke. I adore the entire cast, but these two fuel my angsty little heart. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it!


End file.
